Petrol bomb attack on councillor's home condemned
Ljubljana - Senior Slovenian officials have condemned Friday's petrol bomb attack on the house of Vesna Fabjan, Kočevje local councillor for the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ). President Borut Pahor called for tolerance and mutual respect.
Pahor said that even if the motive was not associated with the fact that Fabjan is a councillor, this was "a despicable act that demands resolute condemnation from the entire democratic public".
He said mutual respect and tolerance were irreplaceable. "I understand the concerns, anxiety, fears and anger among us, but it is precisely because of that that we may not justify violence, verbal or physical."
"I call on all of us to reject any violence as a means of tackling the difficult situation we are in," he said in a press release.
Prime Minister Janez Janša said on Twitter the attack was "a crime that must be condemned and punished - regardless of motive."
But he added he was surprised by the fast reaction of those who have been silent when "similar or worse" attacks happened on a cameraman of Nova24TV and National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) director Milan Krek.
A Nova24TV cameraman was assaulted by the rapper Zlatko at an anti-government protest and had his camera taken away, and Zlatko also heckled Krek in the centre of Ljubljana, posting a video of it on social media.
New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin described the attack on Twitter as "a despicable act that has no place in a democratic society", and SocDem leader Tanja Fajon said she condemned "any violence, the instigation of violence against anyone, anywhere".
A petrol bomb came flying through the window of Fabjan's home near Kočevje on Friday, setting off a small fire. Nobody was injured. The police are investigating the matter.